Feeling entitled to public funding is not a "likeable" quality,
executive director of the National Theatre says, as he argues asking rich
audience members for help is not "so terrible"

London theatres should accept that it is not "so terrible” to seek donations from wealthy patrons, the executive director of the National Theatre has said, as he argues feeling “entitled” to public funding is not a “likeable” quality.

Nick Starr, who has worked at the National since 2002, said an attitude that "public funding should be there by right” is not appealing, as he insisted organisations must be accountable for how money is spent.

He added organisations should come round to the idea that “it wouldn’t be so terrible to let a few rich people through your doors” to help out, in a “good, simple and honest transaction”.

Starr, who has worked in partnership with artistic director Sir Nicholas Hytner at the National for more than a decade, said: "They’re probably in the audience already and you’d probably quite like them if you met them.”

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He appeared on a panel alongside Marcus Davey, chief executive and artistic director of the Roundhouse, Helen Goodman, MP for Bishop Auckland, and Barbara Matthews, from De Montfort University, to discuss opportunities for funding in theatres across Britain.

When asked about the role of public funding, he said it should be used as subsidy to make tickets more affordable, and be put into research, development and “the emergent stuff”.

He said: “What is unlikeable is the sense that public funding should be there by right; that there should be some entitlement to it.

“If one thinks about how to be accountable for public funding, I think you’ve got to say what role it’s playing.

“It isn’t simply the thing that plugs the gap between what otherwise would be a loss, to get you back to zero.”

One-fifth of National Theatre funding now comes from the public, via the Arts Council, compared with 50 per cent in the mid-1970s, with a partnership with Travelex allowing them to provide £12 tickets to some shows.

The theatre has led the way in the debate for public funding in the last few years, arguing continued subsidy provides good economic return and allows companies to take creative risks that go on to pay off commercially.

Speaking of the “marked” difference in raising money in London and in the regions, Starr has now said it is possible for smaller, innovative companies to “grow” fundraising in the capital.

“I would say to any organisation, if you really want to do it you probably can," he said.

He added it was important to get "organisations who are pretty committed to that idea that they can’t raise money round to the idea that actually it wouldn’t be so terrible to let a few rich people through your doors".

“They’re probably in the audience already and you’d probably quite like them if you met them," he said. "And actually, it’s a good and simple and honest transaction to allow people give you a bit more money than they pay for the price of the ticket.

“In London, there’s probably a lot more money to be raised to be absolutely honest.

“Outside London, I think it has to fall to public funding. I think there is an urgent need for public funding, particularly in regional theatre.”

He added continued public funding had allowed the National to “take bets” on productions such as War Horse, which “are now paying the way to make up for some of the public subsidy we have lost”.